Knowing when to get help for your teenager's mental health can be difficult. They may not be willing to acknowledge that they are struggling, or you may wonder whether the issue is serious enough for you and your child to get help. The good news is that there are a lot of options for help and support depending on what your child's needs are, and what they are ready for. Getting help early will give your child the best chance of managing mental health problems before they become more serious.

Most mental health difficulties first appear between the ages of 11 to 25, while the brain is going through a process of rapid development. Around 1 in 4 young people have experienced a mental illness by the time they are 25. It's important to look out for signs of mental health or emotional problems in your child from an early age. When mental health conditions are treated and managed early, the episode of illness is likely to be less serious and have a shorter duration.

Mental health conditions are generally episodic, which means that your child will likely experience periods of being unwell in between stretches of time where they function well. Learning to spot the signs and symptoms of your child's mental health problems early will mean that you'll have the best chance of managing the illness and getting them the help and support that they need.

Unfortunately, only around 30% of young people who experience psychological distress actually get the help that they need. This can be due to a number of reasons, including:

At times, the signs and symptoms of mental health problems can be similar to the ‘growing pains' of being a teenager. It's not always easy to tell the difference between ‘normal' teenager behavior and when there might be something else going on.

Mental health difficulties will surface differently for everyone. There's no ‘normal' and ‘abnormal', except in relation to your own teen's behavior. As a parent, you have an important perspective, you've spent years with your child getting to know their patterns of behaviors and emotions. You're well placed to detect when your child's own ‘normal' has changed. If the change is affecting your child's life negatively and they're not able to function effectively in daily life, it may be time to get help. Remember to trust your instincts, if you think there might be something wrong, it's best to find out.